Saudade

By JS NAYA

""But I do have one regret, Odasaku... I won't be able to read

that novel you'll complete one day."

What should you do to make what your friend wants

become possible? Is there any way to give your friend a

place where he/she could write novels comfortably? A place

where your friend's job doesn't need to kill people.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ukiyoto Publishing
• Release date: Jul 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9789361726651

Book preview

Saudade

JS Naya

Ukiyoto Publishing

All global publishing rights are held by

Ukiyoto Publishing

Published in 2023

Content Copyright © JS Naya

ISBN

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated, without the publisher’s prior consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published.

www.ukiyoto.com

Dedication

To all the BSD fans who have read the light novels and got hurt by Dazai and Odasaku like me, this book is for you. Also, to my friend who drew the book cover, (@little_tentacles) thank you so much! To my sister who recommended the anime to me, thank you so much! I hope this book would give a smile to everyone who'll read it~

NOTE

Hi! This is JS Naya. First of all, I just want to say that this book is a bsd inspired story. After reading BSD Light Novels that Kafka Asagiri wrote, I suddenly came up with an idea and a plot so I decided to write a fanfiction and publish it as a book. There will be a lot of flashbacks and summary of bsd light novels here (with the help of Google and trusted bsd fans' website) so if you haven't read the light novels yet and you don't want to be spoiled, I advise that you should read the light novels first before reading this.

This book is also a celebration for BSD Season 5! It only took me less than 2 weeks to write this so it won't be that long, but I hope you would all like it! Thank you so much~

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

About the Author

Chapter 1

It was a bright Saturday morning in Yokohama.

I was sitting in front of my desk while arranging some sort of paperwork that Kunikida-san told me to do. I can read and write, but I don’t have any idea of what the paper is about. I only listen to what my seniors instructed me and I do it all without questioning them.

I was concentrating on stapling the papers when I suddenly heard a sound of a metal dropping and rolling down on the floor. I raised my head slightly, roaming my eyes to where the sound came from and found out that it was from the metal trashcan— filled with colorful wrappers of Ranpo-san's favorite candies.

I looked at the tall man who’s standing in front of the trashcan and saw Dazai-san wearing his usual trench tan coat. He has a new set of bandages wrapped around his entire body—only his face, hands, and feet are left uncovered. Under the coat he's wearing is a black vest over a striped dress shirt that is light blue in hue. He has dark brown hair and bangs, some of which are gathered at the center of his forehead.

He picks the metal trashcan up and gathers all the wasted wrappers on the floor before throwing all of it back to the trashcan at once. Dazai-san noticed that I was looking at him so he also looked in my direction. We stare at each other for a couple of seconds. I blinked two times and unconsciously straightened my back. I sat properly on my chair while Dazai-san immediately apologized after realizing that he had disturbed me by the noise of the trashcan he accidentally dropped.

I'm sorry Atsushi-kun, I was just searching for something but the trashcan slipped from my hand. He demonstrated what happened using hand gestures. He's explaining it to me while smiling—his eyes almost disappearing from his face.

I felt my forehead creased, curious of what he's searching inside the trashcan which Tanizaki-san bought two months ago.

Dazai-san, may I ask what you are searching inside the trashcan? I can help you to find it if you tell me. I asked.

He shakes his head from left to right. I noticed him searching for something these past few days. At his desk, at Kunikida-san's desk, even at the cafe on the first floor where all of us mostly gather or hangout during our free time. He searches for it everytime Kunikida-san isn't around. I guess he doesn't want to be caught by Kunikida-san skipping from work. Although he doesn't need to hide and pretend in front of the bespectacled man because Kunikida-san knew more than anyone else that Dazai-san is always loitering and he doesn't like to do all the tasks that failed to pique his interest. Kunikida-san will yell at him and even choke him to death because of that, and to say it without any exaggeration, it does happen almost every single time.

How kind of you, Atsushi-kun. I appreciate the thought, but I don't want to bother you searching for it, so I will search for it myself. You don't need to help me.

I wanted to ask why. I wanted to ask what he's been searching for. I know there's a reason why Dazai-san is looking for it. It must be important to him because he wouldn't waste his time scanning the area and surroundings of our office if not. Maybe he thought someone threw it in the trashcan. If it's important to him, he won't throw it with his own hands, right? I'm also confused. Why does Dazai-san not want me to help him? He helped me a lot so I want to help him as well. He has been so kind to me. 

I remember the first time we met. It was the time when I was wandering on the Yokohama streets alone after getting kicked out from the orphanage where I suffered and experienced living in hell. I starved for weeks as I don't have any money to buy food. I also don't have a house to shelter in so I only sleep on a cold, lonely dark corner of the streets, embracing myself tightly hoping that the night won't be so cold as it's always been to me. I even told myself that it's better to die than to live like a stray dog. It also came to the point where I just silently sat at the riverbank—specifically, Tsurumi River of Yokohama while waiting for my death.

I can say that I have found a reason to live again after meeting Dazai-san. After meeting him, he gave me delicious food to eat, (though it was Kunikida-san who paid for it) he gave me a comfortable place to sleep. He also gave me a decent job so I could earn money for myself and help people.

Dazai-san actually has a bad habit, he likes suicide and death. But just like ordinary people, he also hates dying from pain.

Kunikida-san calls him a crazy suicidal maniac, but it won't change the fact that that suicidal maniac have saved me. I am so thankful for Dazai-san because he's the reason why I am working at the agency right now. I owe him my life so I want to do everything that I can do to help him.. even if it'll cost my life.

Atsushi-kun, have you finished arranging the papers I asked you to arrange earlier?

I heard Kunikida-san's voice as soon as he entered the office while holding his ideal notebook in his right hand. Kunikida-san is tall—he's actually the tallest person inside our agency. He has a deep, green-grey eyes but it wasn't that noticeable as he wears eyeglasses everytime. His bangs are parted to the right side and he has spiky golden-blond hair that ends in a long ponytail. I glanced at the papers I'm holding and raised the stapler on my other hand to staple the papers once more before looking at Kunikida-san and answered his question with an average tone.

Yes, I already finished arranging the papers. I said.

He gave me a proud smile.

Great job, Atsushi-kun. Now I want you to give those papers to Ranpo and help him to solve a case.

It took me a minute before I got back to my senses after hearing what Kunikida-san had said. It's not the first time that I will solve a case with Ranpo-san but I always get frozen whenever I hear that I will solve a case with him. No, Kunikida-san isn't really telling me to solve a case with Ranpo-san because Ranpo-san needs my help in solving a case.

Everytime I hear someone saying, Help Ranpo solve a case, it actually means, "Come with him because he's going to solve a case and he doesn't know how